Thirty Whispers
by A Tale Of Brothers
Summary: A collection of 30 drabbles featuring our lovely best bros. Fluri (both bromance and romance).
1. Hair

**Thirty Whispers**

**A.N:** So here I am with another fluri fanfic - this time it's a 30 days challenge and I'm quite curious as to what I'll make of it.

Anyways enjoy the reading, more infos at the end.

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**Hair**

Yuri had always been fond of Flynn's hair.

It was the first detail he had ever noticed about him and he still caught himself staring at its gentle shine. Ever since their childhood Flynn's hair had been of a bright blonde, spiky and bouncing lively. One might think it would be rough to the touch, rugged and wild, though that was all but true. In fact, Flynn's hair was surpisingly soft and smooth, his locks bending under the touch before taking back their original spike.

It was also warm; on particularly cold nights he and Yuri used to sleep almost glued to one another, for a single thin blanket didn't provide enough warmth for the both of them. Flynn himsef did however, as well as his hair – it was as if it had engulfed the sun's own shine and warmth to radiate it back. Those were, of course, the thoughts of a young child adoring his only true companion.

Now that he was all grown up, Yuri didn't think his best friend's hair was as marvelous as he had back then. He did however still think of it as a part of his home; the Commandant's bright blonde hair was one of his infancy's few things that had remained unchanged since their paths had drifted away from each other. Their morals and their evironement had changed - even their relationship, although neither knew quite in what way. It was nice to have some things stay the same when his very world was growing different faster than he expected. Flynn was always a steady part of his life anyway.

Some other times - albeit very rare - when they'd lie next to each other at night, on one of their as of late brief encounters and fall into the depth of slumber, their bodies would eventually retrieve the closeness of their childhood. Yuri would more or less wake up nuzzled against Flynn's back, or at least so close to him he could breathe in his blonde head's pleasant smell: a soft mix of shampoo, sun and paper.

He used to ruffle that lovely mess of hair when they were younger, to soothe his friend or as a teasing gesture. Although he didn't do that nearly as often, Yuri still loved to brush his fingers through his best friend's short, smooth golden strands – which usually made the latter start a healthy blush without fail, a face the swordsman found as hilarious as unbelievably cute on the knight's constantly serious traits.

Whenever he was aware of Flynn's presence in town or on the battlefield, his eyes searched for that unmistakable flash of bright, golden hair. And whenever he spotted it and called its owner's name, a face he knew better than his own would turn around and eye him in surprise, happiness, relief, anger, worry or annoyance – depending on the circumstances. What would always go with that mop of blonde though was a gentle, fond smile and a warm feeling within Yuri's chest.

ooo

Flynn found himself loving Yuri's hair quite a lot.

Since their first meeting years ago it had been of a strikingly uncommon color, a velvet purple shading into an ebony dark. Back then it was always dirty and a real mess, but whenever Flynn commented on it the other boy would merely shrug it off carelessly. Maybe it was because of his laziness, or maybe he just liked it that way, but Yuri had never once done anything with it much less cut it – he had glared dangeroulsy at anyone who so much as thought about shortening his hair. Flynn didn't really approve of his sloppery attitude but couldn't do a thing about it, and it was Yuri's problem after all if he was mistaken for a girl at every corner.

Still, even though it was neither clean nor proper, Flynn wouldn't have it any other way. When they were laying next to each other as children, on dark and silent nights and Flynn knew Yuri was asleep, he used to take a few strands into his little palms and enjoy their softness; for Yuri's hair had always been soft, even if wild and dishevelled. It used to calm him when he couldn't find sleep, remind him he had his special friend right beside him. Even now, after so many years, Flynn still loved to run his fingers through the long healthy locks, silky yet strong to the touch. Yuri hardly ever let anyone touch let alone play with his hair, but sometimes he didn't mind Flynn's caresses.

The swordsman kept his long hair even during his brief time with the Knights, although he had no choice but to take care of it this time. From then on he held his hair clean and brushed back in a loose, small ponytail if not completely down. Flynn loved the way it flew and cut through the air when they were sparring, or fighting on the battlefield. It almost seemed to be a weapon all of its own, sharp and as deadly graceful as its owner's swordarm. It was dancing smoothly along his neck and back, sometimes splattered in blood, sweat and dust.

Now, whenever he had the chance to see his best friend he looked for a mane of dark purple, a slender figure belonging the head. When a stranger, one could easily overlook him as a woman. Flynn however did not think Yuri's hair made him look feminine, quite the contrary they added to his fluid, gracil demeanor that stuck the blonde's gaze to him. It gave him a lighter appearance, more carefree and somehow beautiful. He was his perfect counterpart even in that, too – an untamed mess of exeptional, dark lengthy mane and a spiky, bright head of golden locks.

Yuri's hair was one of a kind, a part of him as thoroughly special as the heart beating underneath. To Flynn, a heart dearer than anyone.

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**A.N:** And that's it for the first drabble! I thought I'd start with something light for the begining ;]

I hope to update a chapter a day, but since I know that won't be quite possible due to my current schedule, I'll try to get a pace from one chapter every 2 or 3 days - some may be shorter, some longer.

Also, most of these drabbles will not be betaed because I want this challenge to be an occasion to improve my writing skills, so if you have anything to point out, criticize or comment on please review so I can get better.

For now, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it :)


	2. Fun

**Fun**

At first Flynn had no idea how he had landed there.

He realized soon enough however, if not only for Yuri's loud laughter resounding a few feet away. Soaking wet and a dumbstruck look on is face sure must be a funny sight - Flynn for his part didn't think it was funny in the least.

They had meant to go for a fun trip to the sea with Yuri, Karol, Raven, Lady Estellise and Rita to take a break from work; the princess had chosen a beautiful spot near Nordopolica to rest and enjoy the summer heat. Eventually they found canoes and organized a little race alongside the shore, in which Estellise paired up with Rita, Karol with Raven, and Flynn with Yuri. The blond had been rather confidant they would make a great team, although the malicious glint in Yuri's eyes hadn't really been reassuring. Now that he had tasted his best friend's sense of humour first hand, he knew he should have had listenned to his guts. Yuri seemed to enjoy his demise a bit too much for Flynn's liking, and his expression quickly turned sour.

"Aw come on don't pull that face! You said needed a good bath, right?" the vigilante sniggered.

"Shut up!" Flynn merely grunted in annoyance and swam back to the canoe he'd been oh so gently pushed from. Yuri, visibly still quite amused, let go of his paddle and reached for his friend's hand to help him back on the boat; he only realized his mistake a second too late as Flynn's glare turned into a devious smirk and he suddenly jerked him down into the water. The blond was now the one to have a good laugh, statisfied to have paid him back. When Yuri didn't resurface a few moments later however, his laughter quieted down and he frowned, slightly worried.

"Yuri?"

Right then, he recognized the other's blurry form right under him, and knew it wouldn't end well for him the moment he felt hands on his waist. A second later he was pulled underwater full force while Yuri rushed back to the surface and held him down, breathing heavily.

"Ahaha! Seems you underestimated me, Mr. Knight!" he laughed in victory.

Flynn struggled to get back up but Yuri _did_ put some pressure on his shoulders. Only solution, grab whatever you can and pull.

"Whoa, hey not the hair Flynn! Dammit would you stop that, it hurts!" the swordsman immediately reacted and effectively was forced to let go of him. Flynn resurfaced quickly, panting hard.

"Say what?!" he glared back at Yuri, who was aiming at him once again. This time, Flynn dodged and meant to throw a good puch at him when he was hit by a rather big wave Yuri had fiercely splashed at him. By the time he looked back the other was already on him trying to push him down, while Flynn did his best to keep his balance up and turn Yuri over. In no time their wrestling became a heavy water fight, both parties dead set on getting the upper hand. Their laughter and shouts filled the air as their only focus was dueling each other, the initial canoe race completely forgotten.

A bit further away, the two remaining teams had noticed one had left the race. Rita was the first to realize why, and supressed a yell; she shook her head in exasperation. "Those two are such idiots, I swear. Why _are_ we wasting our time with them again?" she scoffed.

"Oh Rita." Estelle sighed, a small smile on her lips as she watched her friends battling in the water. They really would never change.

"Ah, youth!" Raven chuckled from his and Karol's boat. «So are we keepin' up that race or what?"

"Yuri! Flynn! Are you comming?! We still have a race to finish!" the kid called out at the top of his lungs.

Said friends abruptly ceased all combat, aware they were being awaited.

"Yo, Karol! Sorry, you go on ahead but we're gonna swim back to the shore okay? Mind taking our boat along?" Yuri waved.

Flynn raised a brow at him "What are you up to now?"

"Just wait a sec." he hushed him and waited for Karol's reply, who agreed and yelled they meet up back at the beach. "Alright, thanks! Later!" he threw his thumb up before turning back to Flynn, who looked at him expectantly.

"So...you ready?"

"Ready for what?"

Yuri smirked. "Ready to go _down_! Race you back, last at the shore's a slouch!" And with that he sprinted forward, leaving a dumfounded Flynn behind.

The latter soon grinned back though and didn't waste any more time as he plunged forward as fast as he could.

"Oho, you're _on _!"

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**A.N:** Thanks for reading and reviewing!

Also to _Onmy3dsandproud_: Thank you so much for reviewing each time, sorry I can't reply directly. Your reviews are deeply appreciated though ;)


	3. Silence

**Silence**

A smile speaks a thousand words, they say. Somehow, they are right.

Words are weapons, mostly used to hurt and hate. Words are clumsy, words are vague and rushed and misleading. Words aren't enough.

We fight a lot, using words. We hurt and hate, we spit insults and accusations at each other. None of us regrets anything we said, but none of us likes it. In fact, we hate it. It seems necessary, and maybe it is, but in the end it doesn't change much. We keep on doing what either of us thinks is right, keep on arguing and disagreeing. Our words are our strenght, but also our weakness more often than not.

That is why we value our silence.

Our silence can be tense, can be sulking, can be harsh and cruel. Our silence can hurt, too.

But our silence means more than our words. Our silence is a challenge more so than our words are. It means looking, looking at and through each other. It means realizing what we haven't before when using words, telling what has been a lie and what holds your honesty.

Our silence lets us speak in a whole different way, a way we have been using since childhood. We understand each other better without using words, always have. Ironic, isn't it?

Sometimes, our silence is our home. A home without reproach or noisy shouts void of any help. Sometimes we need silence.

When I feel you full of grief, despair, guilt, discouragement, anger or dismay - I know words won't help. Words aren't enough, words are frail and fleeting. A silent look, a silent gesture is all we need.

Words won't always speak the truth, nor will they always be enough. Contrary to popular belief, silence can be so much more meaningful. Not saying anything doesn't mean not _doing_ anything. We argue and we agree, we hurt and we heal, we love and we promise silently.

You and I don't necessarily need words.

Sometimes our silence is more than enough to know we will always have each other.


	4. Patience

**Patience**

Climbing up a stone wall had never been a problem to Yuri. He was used to worse obstacles, such as high fences or huge trees – in his younger days often followed by even harsher landings. Each of his movements were swift and efficient, knew where to push and where to lift, where to jump and what to dodge. It really was fairly easy.

Tonight however seemed enclined to mess with him, as if he wasn't tired enough already. That cold winter day had been long and exhausting, sending him to all kinds of small jobs around Zaphias. Brave Vesperia had a pretty slow business running lately, and since Yuri was the only one in the capital he had volunteered to do them all and save the rest of his guild any additional travel or work. After this tiring day, he had still thought he'd pay a quick visit to the Commandant while he was there and inwardly was looking foward to seeing his best friend again.

The freezing air only seemed to worsen as evening drew near and Yuri nearly turned back. Now that he was climbing up this damned wall, he was _almost_ regretting not going in through the front door for once, like Flynn had told him more times than he had ever paid enough attention to to hold count; the light frost made his climbing harder as it was getting pretty slippery. Yuri cursed under his breath. He tried to keep his balance, yet his tiredness had taken a toll on him and thinned his patience by a lot.

Once he finally arrived at his friend's room, he had little difficulty opening his window. This time it was only tilted but that was enough for Yuri to let it slide open easily; with a heavy sigh he hopped into the room, its warmth already taking over the cold chill running on his skin. Silence met him as he quickly scanned the office: a small oil lamp was the only light shimmering on the desk on which were spread several piles of paper, a few books here and there and an open quill. Flynn's bed was neatly made save for some clothes and another half-open book laying on the covers. The rest of his room was as always perfectly clean and in order, although one thing was missing: the knight himself.

Usually Yuri would have left and come back another time, but Karol had told him to return to Dahngrest the day after and he wouldn't have another chance to get to Zaphias again for some time. Also, he wasn't that eager go back to the freezy outside.

Supressing a yawn he huffed and jumped on the bed, kicking off the garnements to the floor. When Flynn wasn't in his room he usually was patrolling somewhere in the castle or was attending a meeting of some kind. The warmth of his chamber was too comfortable so he thought he might as well stay and wait for his blond friend to return.

One minute passed by, then five, then ten, and there still was no sign of Flynn. At first Yuri had appreciated the tranquility, but now it was seriously starting to annoy him as he was getting bored very quickly. Hell, he hadn't come all the way up to wait half a year for the mighty Scifo to come back to his chambers! The man stood up and paced back and forth, unresting. What _was_ he doing?

Maybe he really should just leave him be, he had wasted enough time already. And yet...when he glanced back to the window – which he had carefully closed – the swordsman couldn't help but shudder. He'd just wait a little longer, after all Flynn would come back _someday, _eventually.

Yuri trailed back to the bed, disgruntled but too drained to do anything else. Minutes strechted again silently, his boredom growing greater each passing second. There was abolutely nothing to do here, no one to talk to or nowhere to go. Even though he had been officially pardonned all of his crimes, he was fairly certain him walking through the castle's corridors wouldn't be much appreciated. Besides, he was too tired to get up, and that bed was starting to feel quite comfortable when you took that pillow away and got into the right position.

The clock on the wall next to the door ticked the minutes away, minutes which seemed to be hours. Still no Flynn in sight. _Goddamnit. _Yuri gritted his teeth. He tiredly eyed the window and noticed darkness had now fully filled the sky, as if black ink had been spilled all over it. It certainly was getting pretty late.

"You'd better hurry, moron." he murmured with a heavy sigh as he slumped further into the bed, resignated.

ooo

It was very late when Flynn came back to his room, exhausted. That meeting had lasted for more than 3 hours, useless discussions with the council stretching on and on until a compromise was found and they were still complaining. Fixing the Empire's regulations still had a long, hard way to go it seemed.

Flynn yawned as he entered his office, fatigue clear on his features, and procceded to store the meeting's latest reports away. It was only halfway to his desk that he finally noticed another's presence in his room, or more his bed, and his first impuls was tensing and reaching for the sword hanging on his side. He must be really tired not to have realized any sooner. The knight immediately relaxed though when he recognized the man laying on his bed, and couldn't help but wonder what his best friend was doing here. A small, tired smile quickly replaced his confused look at the rare sight: Yuri was leaning against his bed back, head tilted to the side, arms folded and legs crossed. He too had dark eyebags forming and he clearly looked as exhausted as the blond was. Had he been waiting for him? If so, for how long? By the scattered clothes, the pillow laying on the floor and his friend's soft snoring, he guessed quite a while.

For a moment Flynn considered waking him up, but couldn't bring himself to do so as the longer haired looked like he needed the rest. Besides, he'd be more quiet this way and would for once let him work in peace. Therefore he merely walked to the wardrobe, took out a thin blanket and carefully placed it upon his friend's sleeping figure. A chuckle escaped his lips as he shook his head; Yuri hadn't even taken his boots off.

Sighing silently, Flynn turned back to his desk and started sorting out the piles of documents covering the table. He still had a long night ahead.


	5. Fear

**A.N:** I kept listening to Sacrifice by Vincent Lee while writing the dream sequence, feel free to try it out when starting the read. Also sorry for the delay; those wifi issues are dragging on and on and it really isn't easy...but I am trying, so I hope you'll forgive the late chapter and enjoy this angsty drabble :)

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**Fear**

_The water hit him cold. So very cold. Bruising, sharp, paralyzing any movements or sound. There was no sound, and it was deafening. The pressure crushed everything, suffocated any life before it had a chance to breathe._

_It was getting darker the more he sunk, light faded away as cold and darkness took over. It was so cold._

_He felt numb, yet he didn't have a body. At least, he didn't seem to. _

_Water was everwhere, air was gone and cold was all. There was nothing. Nothing but pain, and water. _

_Wait. There, far away, was a form. It was blurry and tiny, almost invisible. What _was_ that...?_

_It seemed to be sinking as well, unmoving and alone._

_He stared at it, ankered his gaze on the figure like it was the only thing that mattered. Somehow he felt it did, and wanted nothing more than to know what it was. He had to._

_The more he looked at it, the sharper it became and soon he recognized the laying form of a person. There were legs, rigid, and hands, seeming to stretch out for something they couldn't reach. There was a head, covered in short, bright hair that moved smoothly with the freezing water._

_As he stared harder he discerned blue tunic, a light blue that contrasted violently with the obscurity engulfing his still body. The man had armor on, though half of it was damaged and torn like the rest of his uniform, after closer inspection. _

_He felt strange, watching the injured young man. The more he looked at him, the stranger he felt and a sense of loss washed over him. The blond's chest was neither rising nor falling, his head directed to the surface, so far away. _

_Taking a closer look at his bruised face he noticed his eyes were half-closed, letting him delve onto their glazed depths. They must have been a bright, sparkling blue once – now they were dull and unseeing. And still, even though the rest of his body remained motionless his eyes had kept a single shine of life, tiny but present. His gaze was fixed on the top as if looking for something worth living._

_For some reason, he wanted to keep that shine alive, desesperately so. If he failed, something told him he'd die with it. Yet there was nothing he could do. He owned no body, no voice. He was but a mere witness and that made him crazy. Reaching out was useless as he could only do so in his mind; he was helpless. But he had to keep those eyes shining, simply _had_ to._

_Slowly however the light seemed to fade away without him able to do a thing. He wanted to scream, yell and shout at the other man to stay awake - to no avail. _

_As the body sunk and sunk, deeper and deeper, he knew he had failed. In a few seconds the shine had gone, disappeared from his grasp and was never to return. _

_He had lost it, along with his best friend._

**x**

Yuri's eyes shot open. He wasn't covered in cold sweat nor was he panting in the least, yet he felt his vision blurry and his senses slightly numb.

He listened to his heart throbbing against his chest and waited for its beat to slow down, taking a few deep breaths. After five minutes of restless tossing around Yuri concluded falling back to sleep wasn't an option anymore, so with a resignated sigh he sat up on his bed and passed a hand through his hair in irritation.

Was was _that_ all about? He never dreamt much less had nightmares, and even less about Flynn.

Repede, who must have sensed his partner had woken up in an unusual state, gruffed slightly at him and nuzzled his snout against the edge of his bed.

"Don't worry pal, it's just a weird dream." he reassured the one-eyed dog while strocking the soft furr just between his ears.

No longer handling sitting around, he quickly got up and trailed over to the balcony. Better move a little than uselessly wait for sleep that definitively won't come.

Outside, the air was fresh but welcome as he needed to clear his head. Heliord's streets were empty and quiet, the night clear and starry. The guildsman leaned against the nearest wall, gazing at the sparkling dots on the dark font as he couldn't shake away that dream's images.

It was stupid, after all he knew his best friend was alright. The knight was just out on a slighty more dangerous mission in the higher waters near Zaude, he had been informed a mere days ago. Nothing would happen to him; he had always been fine, and always would be.

But somewhere, he thought, deep down there was this nagging worry, this fear his best friend would one day be gone, just like in his dream. He had never really imagined a world without his other half, the concept being far too unsettling. Watching those bright blue eyes, the ones he had known for as long as he could remember, light out and die was something he wished to never see again.

Repede joined him and whined softly; when Yuri looked at him he exhaled and shook his head. He wasn't too much for sentimental musings and dwelling too much on that nonsense would't bring him anything.

"Yeah, I know. Come on, I'll take you to a little walk." he let out, to which the dog huffed in agreement.


	6. Pillow

**Pillow**

**A.N:** Turns out I like writing sleeping/bedscenes.

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Flynn turned around for the uptieth time, unable to find any sufficient rest. Despite the fact that he was exhausted, the knight somehow lost grasp of sleep everytime he thought it was about to welcome him. For the past hour now he had been restlessly lying on the hard matress, trying his best for his eyes to shut and let him doze off. Obviously he had failed so far.

Closing his eyes he tried to focus on the heavy breathing next to him, from behind his back. That was the last thing he thought of to loose consciousness as exhaustion wouldn't leave him alone. The breathing was deep and even, sound asleep and snoring the tiniest bit. Oddly enough this simple, quiet noise reassured him as greatly as it annoyed him. Flynn had been used to hear it ever since he had shared a bed with its owner, and that was as good as saying forever. He'd heard it way less for the last few years though, given their respective roles and responsabilities. It truly was a mere coincidence there weren't enough tents for everyone so that both him and Yuri were confined into the very same. Not that they particularly minded, after all they were used to sleeping next to each other. Now however was an entirely different matter as the tents were meant to shelter only one person at the time and seemed to be equiped as such, which meant one blanket and one pillow for the both of them. As children that wouldn't have been a problem but now that they were fully grown, sharing this little space proved to be far more narrow than the blond had expected and he could not for the sake of him fall asleep. As for Yuri, he didn't seem to be bothered in the least and was convenientlyenough for him occupying the better part of their only pillow, much to Flynn's annoyance. When his best friend sleepily tugged on the covers and grabbed the pillow even nearer to his head, he groaned and shut his eyes tightly in a desperate attempt to find some rest.

- 2:05 am. -

A harsh movement under his head woke Yuri up. It took him a moment to recognize where he was and groggily wondered why it was still nighttime. Something next to him moved again, this time completely jerking the pillow away on which Flynn's blond tuft was now comfortably rested. A few seconds passed as Yuri merely laid dumbfounded before a vein popped on his forehead and he scoffed. The guy sure had some nerv!

"Gimme that damn pillow back, idiot." he slurred, yanking on the fabric. Their makeshift bed was already cramped and rough enough as it was, they certainly didn't need to have it even less pleasant. He felt his friend toss around and mumble something intelligible before the blond stilled again, his back rising and falling evenly. Great, he had fallen back to sleep. With a sigh Yuri lied back stiffly onto the matress, too tired to try much more. When he had counted 40 breaths Flynn had respired yet was still uncomfortable as all hell, he decided he had had enough and violently pulled some of the cushion back to him, although leaving a bit for his friend. Geez.

- 2:30 am. -

Flynn's head fell with a soft bump, jerking him awake from his slumber in the process. What in the world...? He realized at once when his sleepy gaze fell on Yuri's moving form half-hugging the soft cushion, rolling to the side and taking the covers along as well. Seriously?! Flynn felt his irritation grow as he pinched the brink of his nose. And here he had finally found some peaceful rest...

He attempted to retrieve the very much needed pillow but Yuri hung on to it with an iron grip, making it impossible to take the back without waking him up. For a moment he considered the idea, but quickly gave it up as he knew Yuri needed the sleep as much as he did. Although, that didn't make the concept any less tempting.

Flynn stared into the darkness for a good five minutes, resignated. It was getting cold, especially since his friend had very kindly taken away most of their temporary warmth, so he had no choice but to scoot closer to Yuri in order not to freeze over the night. Lying like this, back to back, reminded him of their togetherness in the Lower Quarters many years ago and made him smile drowsily. Back then Yuri had already been the one to steal the covers, although they'd been too young to stay awake for as long as he was now. He still wasn't much more comfortable and it didn't look like he would be for some time.

- 3:14 am. -

When Yuri woke up again he was way nearer to the edge of the matress than he remembered. Looking over his shoulder made him grumble at the sight of Flynn almost clutched to him. He could feel his best friend's breathing on his neck, and although he didn't realy mind his back was starting to protest and he really had next to no space on their bed anymore. Not to mention, Flynn had aparently successed in retrieving the damn pillow.

At such an early hour, the exasperated swordsman knew no mercy anymore and without as much as a scruple gave his blond companion a strong kick that sent him rolling all the way to the other end of the matress.

That seemed to do the trick and with a yelp Flynn went straight up, wide awake. It took him half a second to understand what had happened and he directed Yuri his most furious glare.

"Yuri! What's wrong with you?!"

"With _me_?! You're the one taking all the damned space, selfish bastard! Castle's bed must've gotten too comfortable huh?" said man snapped back, his mood quickly turning very sour.

"_Selfish_? You're one to talk, tell me who's held onto that only pillow through the whole night?! Oh yeah that was you, moro-" Flynn was brusquely interrupted by the cushion smashing straight into his face.

"_Fine!_ There you have your stupid pillow, but man let me sleep in peace!" Yuri snarled and was about to turn back to his side of the bed when the pillow came back flying and hit him to the side of his head. It didn't hurt but that was obviously the last straw as he scowled at his best friend, who was looking daggers right back at him.

"Why you..." Suddenly Yuri threw himself full force with the cushion on Flynn's chest, who caught it and angrily rammed it right back in his face; soon enough the two of them ensued in a pillow match in which neither was willing to back down. They certainly weren't about to get back to sleep any time soon.

_- 7:58 am. -_

Raven strechted and yawned loudly. That night hadn't been one of his best but well, the kid didn't take much space so it'd been alright. He was on waking duty that morning and they had to get going pretty early if they wanted to reach Capua Nor before sunset. After pulling Estelle and Rita from their sleep as well as Patty and dear Judith, the archer made his way to Flynn and Yuri's tent, wondering why they weren't up yet. The racket of their little party packing should have done the job just fine already, for both boys were usually light sleepers and often first to get up.

When no reply to his calls came from behind their doorway, he dared to peek inside and had to bite his lip to stiffle a laugh. Both friends were sprawled on the matress, hair messy and arms spread wide across each other. Their soft snoring told him they were deeply asleep, aparently still as exhausted as the night before. Next to the bed laid a pillow, crumpled and carelessly thrown aside.

"Those young 'uns ...aah, 'guess we'll have ta move our departing by an hour or two." he chuckled and headed back to the rest of the group as quietly as possible.


	7. Sky

**Sky**

**A.N:** I won't be able to update as fast (hum) as I did so far since classes start again next Tuesday. I'll have time for one more before that, but I'll see how to work it out afterwards. Anyways enjoy :)

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"Alright Repede I'm out, see you later!"

Yuri called before stepping out on his doorway, a small basket in hand. Just as he closed the wooden door he heard a quick, aknowledging bark from his companion. Yuri smiled and made his way to the south gates of Zaphias, breathing in the evening's warm breeze.

He liked walking through the Lower Quarter's streets, hearing the chat of the passerbies, the loud call of the merchants, the laughter of children running around. It was the sound of his childhood and there was a serene feel to it that he enjoyed more than anything.

Once out of town Yuri, knowing the way by heart, practically jogged to the meeting place: a lone yet high and imposing Sequoia. The tree was even more beautiful than he remembered, its leaves moving with the soft wind's blow, creating a melodious rustling sound. Yuri put the basket down and sat on the smooth grass, leaning back on the tree's callous trunk and waited. He felt peaceful for what seemed the first time in weeks, when all he'd done was running from town to town completing jobs for Brave Vesperia, some of which had been as well-paid as strenuous.

Looking up he could see the huge web of lengthy branches strechting out in every direction, strong and slender. That tree hadn't been as massive back then, when he and Flynn were old enough to leave the city on their own and discover their neighborhood. Monsters had been rather easy to fight when they worked together and one day they spotted the lonely Sequoia, untouched and beautiful. Both boys had been delighted by their finding and decided to make it their secret refuge. In the summer, its large crown provided enough hiding and protection, while the branches were robust enough to let them rest and play as they wished.

A fond smile split Yuri's lips at the memory. They'd stay up there and watch the sky for hours, sometimes talking endlessly, sometimes completely silent. His favorite moments had always been watching the sunset at the very top of the tree; there, beside his best friend, he had known no greater happiness.

Sunset drew near and while he enjoyed the view from under the crown he found himself loving the sight even more. Where it let some of the sunrays pass through, the shimmering lights shone on the bright green leaves in golden flashes and shades of orange and fiery red.

However, the lower the sun got and the longer he waited, the more nervous he grew. They had agreed to meet up at if not just before sunset! Yuri had been cautious to be right on time for once and Flynn wasn't one to be late, quite the contrary he tended to be more than punctual. The blond knew it was no trivial meeting either; when both had heard of Flynn's departure for an urgent assembly at Keiv Moc regarding some sort of disturbance near the inactive Aer Krene, while Yuri was kept busy with serious frictions amongst the Union, they had agreed to meet up at sunset on Flynn's birthday since his fleet was supposed to return that very day.

The fact the sun had almost completely vanished behind the horizon and there still was no trace of Flynn anywhere made him wonder just where the hell his friend was. What _was_ he doing? He was never late. Even if he'd have any kind of delay Yuri woud have been informed somehow. Had something happened? Flynn _had_ seemed very troubled by the meeting he'd been called for just before leaving, but Yuri had had enough work the past few weeks not to pay attention to it. An attack perhaps, an ambush?

"Nah." The swordsman shook his head. He really was making too much of a fuss about it, his pent-up stress and fatigue must have worn him out.

"'Nah' what?" Yuri jumped when a voice he knew all too well questionned behind him. Quickly turning around he found his best friend arching an eyebrow, looking at him expectantly.

"Geez Flynn don't sneak up on me like that, that's _my_ specialty." he glared at the blond, although his anger wasn't really sincere. Flynn wasn't impressed in the least.

"What's caught your attention not to notice me coming?" he inquired, putting down his bag and joining Yuri on the ground. The latter rolled his eyes.

"Sir Commandant being late."

"Ah, yes...sorry about that." he replied quietly and averted his gaze. The long-haired realized his friend looked pretty drained and almost sad, but did not comment on it. If someting was troubling Flynn he'd say so himself sooner or later, after all they trusted each other with nearly everything.

"Heh it's fine. It's your day after all, can't scold your mighty ass too much." Yuri gave him a cocky smirk and barely dodged Flynn's elbow jabbing his ribs, a playful grin on his lips.

"What a nice welcome. I'm very tempted to move my mighty ass elsewhere."

Yuri only snickered. "Shut up and enjoy your birthday."

He reached for the basket and took out a small blanket before laying down next to Flynn and covering them both, small enough to make them scoot closer to each other. Yuri crossed his arms behind his head and looked up at the sky. Now that the sun had set, a thousand stars illuminated the dark blue font. It was a if a thousand homes shone on the dark horizon, and somehow that was true. The sky had always been some kind of home to him, something he hung on to when he felt helpless. When he was flying on the Fiertia Ba'ul carried, he often stayed up late to observe the constellations, even though he didn't really recognize them. Estelle more than once rushed outside to scold him he shouldn't remain in the cold, but quickly joined in and told him about the story for each one of them. Brave Vesperia and its sister star had always shone the brightest to him; back when he was younger and only knew a blurr of the legend behind their names, he used to think they were like him and Flynn. Two inseparable stars bonded by a strong feeling to 'watch over the world'. To Yuri, Flynn had always been the brightest star there was, a hope he and everyone else could follow and hold on to.

He turned his gaze away from the starry sky to his best friend, who was captivated from the beautiful sight. They had stargazed a lot as children, more times than he could count, but the warm feeling of comfort and serenity hadn't faded one bit. Flynn's hair was a bit flatter than the bouncy usual, he noticed, and he had a small cut his forehead hidden behind a blond strand. He wondered what could have happened at Keiv Moc, and assumed it was the reason he had looked so weary earlier.

Flynn must have sensed him staring and turned to face him back. A long while they remained silent, looking at each other, until Yuri smiled softly and whispered:

"Happy Birthday, Flynn."


	8. Lost

**A.N:** Well, seems I have even less time from now on. Since classes start tomorrow I'm afraid I will update even more irregularly, but I'll still try my best not to let too much time between chapters. Can't promise anything though.

Anyways this one features a company called IKEA. I feel I should explain it a bit since aparently it's not as known in the US and other continents as it is in Europe. Basically, it's a swedish company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture appliances and home accessories (like beds, lamps, tables, kitchen and such). It's one the most famous european furnituring companies and owns countless stores throughout the continent. Also those stores are _huge_, like you've got to spend at least a few hours there and it's ridiculously easy to get lost.

**Disclaimer: I of course do not own ****IKEA ****or any of its profit/goods.**

Apart from that, enjoy =)

* * *

**Lost**

"I keep telling you we already passed the dish departement!"

"And I'm telling you this is totally impossible for if we had we should've crossed the lightings, which we haven't." Flynn calmly replied, gripping the map tighter and completely ignoring his best friend's grouchy protests.

He should have known better than asking Yuri to help him look for some new furnituring at IKEA, some of their own were beyond repair after 5 years of good usage. Flynn had been delighted once he had finally complied, but was slowly starting to regret it as the longer haired was all but helping. In fact, he was dragging a large yellow bag in which was hidden an XL sized plush of a dark blue dog, with one scarred eye and a pipe in his mouth. A fairly odd plush, Flynn reckoned. What Yuri hadn't thought through when he had bought the toy however was that he'd have to carry it himself, something the blond was taking great satisfaction in hearing his friend grunt in annoyance. Served him right.

Turning the map around, Flynn looked up and pointed to the left. "I think if we turn this way right after the dining storage we'll be able to reach them through the stools section."

"Wouldn't surprise me if we walked in circles..." Yuri mumbled under his breath.

"We are _not_!" Flynn replied, irked, and sighed. "I just wished those maps indicated the passageways more accurately, last two were let-downs."

"Yeah right, or you just can't read a damn map."

"Like you'd do any better."

Yuri merely groaned and shrugged. Obviously he was less than pleased to have been dragged along for shopping. Flynn gave up and chose to focus on the way to the dishes before he ended up arguing any more pointless issues.

"Okay, so according to the map," he pondered aloud, "we have to turn here left, then right across the bedrooms and straight ahead to the lightings. I just don't get why they didn't build a direct passageway to the lightings instead of those messy turns...I wonder if we could cut though the matress storage and- hey are you even listening?" Flynn sharply turned around, suspiscious at how quiet Yuri was behind him, and found no trace of his partner.

"Yuri?" For goodness' sake, they had no time for this. He was ready to backtrack when-

"BOO!"

"Wha- ahhh!" Flynn jumped at Yuri's scream and fell backwards on the nearest bouncy bed. He had no time to recover from his fright for Yuri threw himself on him, preventing the blond to stand up. The longer haired was laughing loudly, unable to hide his broad grin.

"Hahaha man, you should have seen your face!"

"That wasn't funny." Flynn was growing beyond annoyed and tried to push Yuri off him, to no avail since the latter made sure to put his entire weight on him.

"Come _on_, there's nothing to do here."

"Well, you would be less bored if you actually helped me searching for those dishes. And now get off me!"

Yuri however had no intention of doing so and crossed his arms on Flynn's chest, chin resting on them and placing a sly smile on his face.

"Aw but I'm so comfortable now..."

Briefly, a couple passed by the bed they were lying on and whispered hastily while a few girls next to them started giggling. Flynn blushed a little and tried to kick Yuri off him again.

"Yuri, that's inapropriate! People are staring already."

"Then let them." Yuri shrugged. "Since when do you care about what people think about us anyway?"

Flynn let out an irritated sigh. "You know I don't. That's not what I meant, it's just that- mphf!"

He was promptly cut by Yuri lips sealing his own shut, melting them together in a fleeting kiss. At first Flynn was too startled to react but soon went along and deepened it; for a second the people, the world around them didn't matter as he focused on the pleasurable feeling of his partner's lips on his own.

Suddenly Yuri pulled back, breaking their kiss in a quick motion. Flynn blinked a few times, panting for air and an utmost confused look on his face. Seeing Yuri grinning from ear to ear, he huffed and faked a pout.

"You're not playing very fair."

His best friend could only laugh at that, a sound which made Flynn's chest warm up as it sounded light and carefree. He was having fun, the bastard.

"When do I? Besides, I had to give you _some_ sort of punishement for dragging me through this maze all day long."

Flynn snorted. "You're the one in need of punishement for misbehaving in a furniture store, I must remind you."

"That so? I can't wait to be punished then..." Yuri leaned in for another kiss, which Flynn gave up resisting against after a while and joined in.

"Ahem, excuse me Sirs." a voice resounded next to them. A rather stern-looking employee stood in front of them, arms crossed. "I'm sorry but I'll have to ask you to interrupt your...activity and proceed to move from the selling-products. This is a public trading place."

Both men broke apart in an instant, Flynn blushing bright and Yuri looking quite uncomfortable.

"Ah- yes, we're very sorry Sir. We'll move right away." he apologized and immediately glared at Yuri who looked as if he was about to say something rash. That seemed to be enough to silence him until the stiff employee left and Yuri chuckled.

"Well that wasn't awkward at all."

The blond grumbled, his blush still aparent. "Shut up. You initiated it."

"I don't remember you doing much against it." his friend replied, still grinning smugly while Flynn was clearly getting annoyed.

He didn't want to discuss their embarassing incident any further so he rolled to the side of the bed, shaking off Yuri's legs, and stood up.

"I think we should move on."

"Sure." the other groaned.

Flynn picked up the map he had dropped earlier from the floor and scanned it quickly, still feeling a little lightheaded like each time he lost himself a bit too much when kissing Yuri. Seriously, this guy was driving his nerve system mad.

"Alright, now where were those shortcuts again...?"

Next to him, Yuri sighed. "Just admit it, we're lost."

"We are _not_!"


	9. Question

**Question**

**Disclaimer: **I took the liberty of quoting a little from a pretty famous part of _Dawson's Creek_. Obviously, I don't own it or the series.

* * *

Nothing felt better than a day off. Despite the omnipresent masses of work back at the castle, Flynn had found a way to finish a maximum reports so he could take a small break and spend one of the last few warm days of fall at the Lower Quarter. As the Commandant he couldn't allow himself to leave the capital without a good official reason, and Zaphias' poorest quarter had always been the place he felt the most comfortable at. He felt safe and at home; everyone knew him and he knew everyone. And, of course, there was Yuri. His best friend lived there when he wasn't at the Brave Vesperia HQ in Dahngrest, and Flynn craved to see him as much as possible - which wasn't really often.

They were both currently sitting on the edge of the Lower Quarter's fountain, chatting lively about their works and travels. Flynn enjoyed listening to Yuri's stories from his jobs around Terca Lumereis as he didn't have much time to have trips here and there, exept when he was on duty or on a mission, but then he never focused on anything else than his work. Yuri's guild on the other hand was accepting all kinds of requests and therefore often was sent to various interesting places.

Hanks sat on the nearest bench, sorting out some of his old books lying next to him in a dusty pile. Children were playing around a few streets away while citizens kept coming and going from the market; it really was a peaceful afternoon.

"-and then Karol came back all soaking wet and blushing bright while carrying a passed out Raven. Seriously you should have seen the old man's face when he saw Judy coming back, it was priceless." Yuri laughed, recalling one of their visits at the Jumanju hotsprings. He'd been sure the old pervert had peeked at the ladies' bath, but had not expected him to have dragged the kid along. It'd certainly been a funny sight.

Flynn smiled fondly, glad his friend had found other people he could have a fun time with. They'd both had only each other for years and he'd feared Yuri wouldn't fare all that well after their parting at Ceazontania's gates, given his brash character. He was grateful he'd found new friends that loved him for who he was and on whom he could rely on. The blond just wished they'd spend more time together as he kept being busier with his guild lately.

Flynn was about to ask him how Karol was doing when a loud voice suddenly called behind them.

"Hanks! Hanks!" Both men turned around and spotted Ted running towards them, or more the old gramps.

"Heh, not so fast. What's the matter?" he inquired, putting his books aside.

"Mary, she -" the boy panted "- she told me she's found a 'soulmate'. What's that?"

The elderly man raised an eyebrow. "Didn't she tell you?"

"Uh yeah, sort of, but I didn't get it at all."

Hanks chuckled at Ted's puzzled face. "I see. Well, where do I begin..."

A few feet away, Flynn and Yuri looked at each other, an amused smile on their lips. Their curiosity was piqued and they discreetingly lent an ear to the old man's answer.

"Alright, so...I guess it's like a best friend, but more. It's the one person in the world that knows you better than anyone else."

Yuri frowned. That was...one way to look at it. He'd never really thought about it since he'd never had any reason to. Nonetheless, Hanks had a point; having a special person required fully opening up to them and knowing them well enough to make the difference between lie and truth.

"It's someone who makes you a better person, well, actually they don't make you a better person - you do that yourself because they inspire you. You will still argue and fight, but you will also complete and instinctively understand each other." Hanks continued.

Flynn looked down, deep in thoughts. That was very true. Completing and understanding each other were part of building up a real, solid relationship. That person's sort of your metaphorical rock on which you can count to lift you up whenever you fall. Strangely enough, it reminded him of Yuri. He didn't really know why he was thinking of that now, but this was similar to what his best friend was to him. Yuri's tireless determination to keep on fighting, his cheery attitude, his gentle heart, his courage and his selflessness – even though far too exessive at times – it all truly inspired him and pushed him forward each time he felt like falling behind. Their constant arguing and shouting would never make _that_ fade away.

Hanks' rough voice and the sound of Ted pushing the books aside to sit next to him pulled Flynn out of his thoughts. "Basically, a soulmate is someone you carry with you forever. It's the one person who knew you, accepted you, and believed in you before anyone else did or when no one else would."

Yuri mulled over these words, somehow understanding their meaning without really knowing why. He did have something like that; having known Flynn for a very long time, he didn't even imagine him not being part of his life in the future. He'd always been, well - _there,_ one way or another, and to Yuri he always would be.

He remembered their talk at Mantaic after he had let Cumore die. He hadn't felt any regret making that bastard pay for his misdeeds, but that didn't mean he felt good about it either. He had felt filthier than ever, acting in the shadows and sullying his hands that would never let him forget he was a criminal, a murderer. He'd gone against the very principle of Flynn's moral, his ideal of justice, and yet the blond had continued believing in him. He could've struck him down, and maybe he would have if it wasn't for Sodia interrupting them, but fact was he hadn't and never did. Yuri knew he should have done it for this was his rightful punishment, but deep down he'd always been glad his best friend had still held faith in him when he himself had not. Flynn had stood by him, like he'd always had.

Hanks shifted on the bench to place a hand on Ted's right shoulder. "And no matter what happens... you will always love them."

The boy's features, which had been constricted in deep concentration, lit up and a broad smile illuminated his young face.

"Oh, I see! So it's like Yuri and Flynn, right?"

For a moment no one said anything. Hanks blinked a few times and glanced at his boys who had gone silent a good while ago. They seemed to have stopped dead in their tracks, starring at each other wide eyed and a healthy red brightening their cheeks. Ted didn't seem to have noticed and kept staring at him expectantly, still smiling as if he had found the answer to a particularly knotty question.

Hanks cleared his throat and replied with a quiet chuckle, "Well, who knows...maybe. But I think it's up to them to decide of that."

Apparently this was satisfying enough of an answer, for Ted thanked him and sprinted away back to his friends. The old man watched him disappear around the next corner and sighed. Youth nowadays sure was full of energy.

He realized there still wasn't any chatting coming from the fountain, so he turned to have a better look and was met by the sight of Flynn and Yuri still sitting on the mainspring, just as red as before or if possible even more, now all but looking at each other. Both seemed deeply occupied, looking flustered and uncomfortable. The old man leaned back in his bench, amused. It had to happen sooner or later. What was that old saying? 'Out of the mouths of children comes the truth'. He knew how close those two had always been and, to be honest, was more than curious about how they were going to deal with this new developement.

Smiling, Hanks shook his head and went back to sorting out his books, but not without shooting a glance or two at the boys every now and then. As grown up as they always claimed to be, they still remained two clueless kids.


	10. Attention

**Attention**

The door behind him slammed closed as Flynn took a few tired steps inside. Next to the entrance hanged a small mirror and he almost didn't want to look at his reflection for he already knew he'd see nothing but fatigue. College was always stressful but he'd managed just fine all those years, there wasn't any reason he was feeling this worn out now. Oh wait, there was. He'd caught a small cold the week before, and work didn't seem to take his weakened state into account as it piled up and up until Flynn was left studying and finishing projects without breaks. That day had been one of those you just want to crawl back into your bed and hibernate.

The blond carelessly dropped his bag, too exhausted to bother putting it away, and made his way to the living room. As soon as he entered the sound of music reached his ears, most likely from the kitchen's radio, and Yuri's voice singing along to a rock n'roll song. He'd always enjoyed this kind of stuff, and so did Flynn from time to time.

Approaching the kitchenette he watched his best friend, who must have come back from classes earlier, preparing himself a tasty-looking piece of salmon with some spinach and potatoes. Flynn's stomach growled for a moment, drawing a light laughter from Yuri.

"You want some too?" he inquired without turning around and handed him another plate he'd already readied for him.

"Huh? Oh...thank you. I'll be in our room, got some work to do." Flynn mumbled.

"Gee, you never take breaks."

He almost heard his friend rolling his eyes but didn't answer and dragged himself and his plate to their bedroom, which conveniently served as study room.

Flynn slumped into his chair, taking out the instruction sheets for this huge assignment he was about to begin working on. It was due only two weeks from then but was certainly one of the main pieces to his final extrance exams.

Sighing, he pushed his plate to the edge of the desk. With a few lingering glances to their bed he tried to concentrate on the paper lying before him.

* * *

His eyes were exhausted and unfocused, much too strained to be willing to cooperate for more than three minutes anymore. That assignment was trickier than he'd given it credit for, and now he was in for his fifth time reading the subject through, looking for clues and thinking of ways to organize his answer methodically. Damn it. Was it so complicated to give simple, clear instructions?!

Somehow, in the midst of his musings, his brain registered the sound of the door opening and someone stepping in. Yuri must have watched TV for a while then went back to their room. He faintly recognized the sound of his best friend hopping onto the bed and taking out his drawing pad. Drawing was a hobby the longer haired had always been fond of, and he'd been practicing every now and then since he was eight. Needless to say, he was rather skilled - something Flynn had been admirative of for a long time.

Well, at least Yuri knew he needed silence more than anything this time and for once let him work in peace.

The blond breathed once, twice and let go of the pen he'd been holding a bit too tightly. He had to calm down and focus on the main problem, then come up with a solid procedure to develop his point.

He rubbed his eyes and yawned. Soon, he felt his stomach growl once more and decided to eat his meal before moving on. Hunger slowed down your brain activity, as well as your capacity of thinking straight and your energy.

As soon as he put the fork into his mouth, however, Flynn groaned in displeasure. Not only was he completely drained, but he'd been so caught up in his work that the meal had become cold and bitter.

Another frustraded grunt escaped his lips. Great, everything seemed to mess with him that night. For a moment he felt like giving up and burried his head into his crossed arms, allowing himself a few seconds of rest. He just wanted to get it over with...

Flynn heard Yuri chuckle from somewhere on the bed. The rustling sound of his friend standing up, his light footsteps approaching and resonating fainter told him he'd left the room. He didn't bother looking up though, or more didn't have the strenght to at the moment. He just wanted to forget about work, forget about college, forget about cold meals. And more than anything else, he longed for a nice night of sleep.

Flynn was just about to let his mind doze off when he felt a hand gently shaking his right shoulder. Perking up, he was met by Yuri's standard grin; the latter was handing him his plate, on which the blond now discerned light smoke. Flynn stared in surprise. Did Yuri reheat it just for him?

His expression must have echoed his wonder for his best friend smiled approvingly. Flynn mirrored it, albeit much more wearily, and leaned in closer to press a brief, grateful kiss on the other's smirk. Their lips remained connected until they had to pant for breath, still keeping close.

"Eat, you idiot." Yuri murmured, scowling the tiniest bit.

Flynn chuckled. "Yeah, thanks mom."

"Hey, speak for yourself. Not my fault you got workaholic issues." he huffed and patted his back. "Now dig in or I'll make sure you won't even be able to hold your pen tomorrow."

He'd learned long ago not to take Yuri's threats seriously, or at least those kinds. He watched his friend turn around and go back to his previous occupation as if nothing had happened. Rolling his eyes, Flynn went back to his own task and glared at his unfinished assignment. He couldn't help smiling for a few more minutes though; sometimes it was really nice to have an unnerving idiot by your side.


	11. Darkness

**Darkness**

Yuri's mind tossed and turned as he shifted on the bed for the seemingly hundredth time already. It was dark, and silent. And it was hot. Why couldn't he just fall asleep? Catching sight of the clock on the nearby bedside table he barely discerned it was shortly before 3 am. Yuri sighed and let his head fall back onto the sleeping body right next to him. It could as well have been part of his own, considering how close they were lying next to each other. Flynn's bare chest was rising and falling evenly, balancing Yuri's head up and down the tiniest bit. He didn't mind though, enjoyed it even as he could listen more intently to his friend's deep breathing. It was rather calming; it always reminded him how _alive_ they were at that moment. They so often went seperate paths, quite dangerous on top of that, and got to see each other so rarely as of late that he sometimes was left wondering in which state they'd see each other the next time, if alive at all.

No, he wasn't all that worried about his best friend but yes, he was aware that life was harsher than it looked like. Anything could happen after all, no need to get dellusional. Hence, hearing Flynn's tranquil breathing helped him rest assured for a brief moment. Yuri knew that if he lifted his gaze to the blond's face, he'd see nothing but darkness. He didn't need light to picture his traits however, for he knew each and every feature, every facet by heart.

A long while he merely kept listening to his friend's soft breathing, eyes staring at nothing in particular as he attempted to fall asleep. He liked the darkness, to be honest. Alright no, he didn't _like_ it per se, but he felt at ease. It was where he felt he belonged to more and more. After all, he did work in the shadows, did it all under the veil of darkness. He'd killed Ragou and led Cumore to his end in the dark. It was his territory, so to say.

Flynn was the light, everything Yuri wasn't. He didn't particularly like it, but it was what he chose to be. It was necessary, and he was ready to pay the price of staining his hands with darkness if it meant achieving their goal. He was the darker justice no one wanted to embody, but that everyone needed. Yuri understood that in order for change to happen, for the Empire to be cleansed from the corrupted structure it was plagued with, there needed to be sacrifices. What nobody wanted to admit was that such a radical change also required setting aside those who were far too depraved to give up willingly. Murder, in simpler terms. Imprisoning was, up to now, no option as the laws were still rotten enough to let even the worst fiend get away with minor punishment. There needed to be more drastic measures taken. And until the system was fixed, he would pull on this glove nobody wanted to wear.

He had never been one for science or physics, but Yuri knew that a light needed a shadow to shine. Flynn was the light, he was the shadow. The knight knew the rules, respected them and worked hard to use them for the best possible outcome. He on his side did everything he could to support his friend, passing his fatal sentence on those who obstructed the way to a peaceful future.

Yuri was pulled out of his thoughts by an unpleasant tug on his hair. Flynn stirred and shifted positions so that he was now lying on his side, chest parallel to Yuri's as the latter rolled onto his partner's outstretched arm. With few swift movements he managed to make himself comfortable again, his forehead barely brushing Flynn's left temple.

There, like this, he felt complete. Even though light and darkness were two entirely different entities, they physically could not exist without each other, very much like the both of them. Each had their own task to fulfil, their own path to walk. But in the end, those paths would meet again and eventually merge together. Yuri knew the risks they were both taking; that Flynn too posessed a darkness that could lead him away from justice to become as corrupted as Alexei once was. Likewise, Yuri posessed this intense spark of light for a better future that drove him forward. Too much of it, however, could blind him and eventually drag him even further down the path of a criminal. That is why they needed each other first and foremost. They balanced each other's flaws and filled each other's gaps. Their resolve would not waver as long as they had each other.

Two as one. Light and dark, ups and downs.


	12. Treat

**A.N.: **I'm sorry for the long wait, but you know, life interfered and such. I hope this fluffy Halloween-special makes up for my delay though x)

* * *

**Treat**

Yuri's nose was snuffly, his ears were freezing and he couldn't feel his toes. Oh and, his head felt like a giant pumpkin, very much like those covering the streets and shops as of late. Even though it was Halloween, his mood was less than festive to say the least. He'd never really liked the celebration anyway because work at the bakery always overflew. This day had been even more exhausting than usual for costumers endlessly rushed in and out to order masses of pumpkin-flavored cakes and other sweets of the likes. By the end of the day he must have baked more cakes than he did in a whole week. His hands felt like mush and his head on the verge of bursting.

Stepping on the zebra crossing with a frustrated grunt, Yuri sped up his pace. He just wanted to be home now, and hibernate. The mist from this morning had not dissipated one bit and it was getting colder by the hour, not to mention the insufferable wind kept blowing in his face. God friggin dammit.

He was almost there. Once arrived he'd take a nice bath, make himself a quick sandwich and lie on the couch until Flynn got back from the office. Actually scratch that, he'd directly head for the couch. Yes, that sounded like a well-earned evening.

Yuri was almost entirely frozen when he got to his doorstep and had already mentally fallen asleep, when he stopped dead at once. The keys. Frantically emptying every single pocket he owned, he held back a yell once he realized he'd somehow forgotten to take them back from Flynn who'd asked for his last night. Shit. Yuri had the sudden urge to kick the door open, both to enter his own flat and let off some very frustrated steam. The young man facepalmed and turned to head for the housekeeper's apartment, when he caught something white from the corner of his eyes. It was a small piece of paper that'd been stuck in the opening of the door, and Yuri didn't have to squint to recognize Flynn's handwriting from where he was. The note read: _Follow the arrows_.

A good while Yuri just stood there blinking at the wrinkled paper. What. Flynn wasn't supposed to be back earlier than him that day, but from the looks of it he had and had left him this weird message to top it all. Three minutes passed while Yuri debated what to do. Flynn wasn't one to play these kinds of games, but then again he kept surprising him from time to time, even after all those years – surprises which he'd have gladly passed on for most, he bitterly thought back to the many times he'd had to clean his friend's mess in the kitchen.

On the other hand, he had no key and was stuck outside until he found whatever Flynn wanted him to find. He looked around and spotted the first arrow, clumsily painted in orange on the nearest wall; it pointed towards the exit. Inwardly cursing at this unnerving turn of events, Yuri sighed and resigned himself to join this stupid game.

Flynn's arrows were fairly easy to detect, patched on street lamps or trash cans, half-torn posters and naked trees. To be honest, Yuri felt slightly ridiculous following this pointless lead. Once he got to Flynn, he'd make sure to give him a piece of his mind for making him waltz around in this nasty weather way longer than necessary.

He walked street after street, further downtown without a clue where he was headed. Right when he'd decided the lead would never end, he found himself out of arrows. Unsure what to do next, he started to turn back when out of nowhere a kid grasped his wrist. Yuri curiously looked down; the kid didn't seem to be older than ten, the front of his messy brown strands pointing up to the back of his small head. He wore a thick coat, a comfy red scarf around his neck and carried a bag much too big for his short size, but what stood out most was the grin on his childish face. When Yuri questioningly raised an eyebrow, the kid's grin grew even wider.

"This blond guy came by ealier and told me a dark, long haired idiot would arrive here. I take it that's you?"

"Uh...yeah, I guess." 'long haired idiot'? Oh, Flynn would _definitely_ get a taste of his own humour once he found him.

The kid practically beamed by now. "Great! Okay so, I'm supposed to tell you to meet up at the place you cast the first spell." He rolled his eyes at Yuri's bewildered face. "Don't look at me, I've got no idea what that means either. I'm just here to pass on the message. Anyways I gotta go, good luck!" And with that the kid ran off, leaving Yuri to his perplexed thoughts.

'The place he cast the first spell'...? What the hell?! Really, he had better things to do than run around trying to solve riddles and catch up to his best friend who clearly was messing with him. Like sleeping, for example. What he wouldn't give for his bed right now. But nope, Halloween just seemed to enjoy haunting him into exhaustion this time around as well. Not like he'd ever had much luck anyway.

Leaning against a tree, Yuri closed his eyes in annoyance. Alright, better solve this stupid riddle and get it over with. The place he cast the first spell...what kind of rubbish was that anyway? Trust Flynn to make it as mushy and complicated as possible. A spell. What could possibly compare to a spell? A song maybe, or some sort of meal. No, that wasn't it. A colour, a feeling or- oh. That was it.

Yuri's eyes jerked open and he sprinted down the street to his right, knowing exactly where he was going this time. After a few turns he arrived at the main area of the town's lower quarter, panting and looking for that special place. He quickly found it and ran to the lonely bench facing the frozen fountain. Everthing had started here.

Yuri still remembered that day clearly: Flynn had been merely six years old and so had he when he'd found the blond sitting on that very same bench nearly fifteen years ago. Yuri recalls having spotted Flynn and out of curiosity approched the young boy. They had spent good three hours talking and playing around. From then on they'd began to hang out on a daily basis and had eventually become as inseparable as they were now. That had started their friendship. The place he had 'cast the spell' was right there, on this bench.

Yuri smiled a little, satisfied to have found his answer and amused by Flynn's overdosed sentimentality. His smile soon turned into a frown however once he realized he was alone. Late passer-bies crossed the place, a few disguised children were running down the street and the last shops were closing. But there was no trace of Flynn anywhere.

Annoyance made its way back to Yuri's face. Where the hell had the guy gone off now? A groan escaped his lips and just as he wanted to head back, tired of playing games, his vision turned black as a blindfold was suddenly being placed on his eyes.

"What the-" his shout was promptly hushed by a warm hand covering his mouth, and Yuri instantly relaxed. He knew that hand very well.

Too well actually. What _was_ Flynn doing? He struggled against him but two strong arms kept him prisoner against his best friend's chest. Yuri thought about bitting his hand off his mouth when he suddenly felt Flynn's warm breath tickle his ear.

"Trick or treat?"

The sensual whisper sent pleasant shivers running down his back. Yuri finally understood and with a smirk decided to play along once his boyfriend's hand left his face.

"Who says I can't have both?"

He heard Flynn chuckle next to him. "What a greedy boy you are."

Next thing he knew, Flynn's hands were gone and Yuri was left feeling alone and blind.

"Flynn-" a pair of lips crushed with his, melting any resistance away. As always, Flynn's lips were soft, a little chapped and warm. The feeling of kissing his partner with a blindfold on was kind of new and awkward, but it helped him focus on the other's taste completely. Flynn's mouth was unusually sweet, and it tasted awfully close to – wait. That was...cinnamon. What? Actually he _did_ feel something swirling between them. Yuri made a noise that was meant to be a grunt but sounded more like a quiet moan, and in no time he felt the round object passing between his own lips into his mouth. Candy.

Flynn pulled back before Yuri had enjoyed the feeling nearly as much as he wanted to. The blindfold loosened and slid off his face to the blond's bright grin.

"Heh, didn't think you'd take it literally." Yuri managed a fake pout, although the edge of his lips turned into a small smile. Flynn only laughed.

"How's your treat?"

"Perfect." Actually, he'd expected a pumpkin-flavored candy but to his relief it was his favorite, cinnamon. One more orange jack-'o-lantern flavor and he'd throw up into the next bush.

"By the way, I should thank you for this lovely set-up of yours."

"Did you like it?"

Yuri didn't even try to hold back the roll of his eyes. "Of course, Flynn. What would possibly delight a _long_ _haired idio__t_ like me more than a chase-party through the entire town?" he replied sarcastically, his voice taking an angry tone. "When did you have time for all that anyway?"

Flynn shrugged. "I worked overtime yesterday night to take off this afternoon."

"So this is why you borrowed my keys to come back this late, huh."

"Partly." his friend chuckled, rubbing his neck.

"Now let me guess, the other part was to purposely lock me out and play this little game here."

"Correct." All of sudden, Flynn was leaning in very close to him again. Yuri was forced to rest his back against the nearest tree and by the time he looked back to Flynn, several lanterns lit up in the row of trees all over the place. For a moment Yuri contemplated the dazzling sight, before glancing back to his best friend who was watching him intently.

"Sometimes I wonder how can I even put up with such a sap like you." he sighed and shook his head.

"Maybe that's because I can give you as many treats as you want."

"Hm, true. Now, I hope you do know I expect those every year from now on."

Their noses were touching by now and their breaths mingled in the cold air.

"You really are greedy. But I guess that can be arranged..." With a swift lift of his head, Flynn sealed their lips shut once more.

Admitedly, Yuri didn't dislike Halloween all _that_ much.


End file.
